NIV Personal Size Large Print Reference Bible

Although I’m blessed to receive review copies of new editions from most of the Bible publishers, I liked the NIV Personal Size Large Print Reference Bible so much that I bought my own copy! 

This reader edition of the New International Version of the Bible comes in soft calfskin, which my fingers prefer and in an easy-to-read 12-point print, which my eyes prefer. 

I also like the clearly visible end-of-paragraph references better than the more common center or side-column references. Since those relevant references are right there, I don’t have to squint to find small-font references somewhere else, which means I’m more apt to look them up and see how God’s word often weaves interconnections. 

Two ribbon markers are nice to have too, especially when reading/ studying the Old Testament (OT) aka Hebrew Bible and New Testament (NT) at the same sitting. 

In this edition, the actual words of Jesus become more visible in red, which emphasizes how outstanding they are! Also, the eight pages of color maps stand out for those of us who are geographically challenged. 

Once again, Zondervan has published a quality edition of the Bible in the highly readable NIV that we’ll want to read again and again. 

© 2020, Mary Harwell Sayler, poet-writer, Bible reviewer 

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KJV Giant Print Bible

If you love the King James Version of the Bible (KJV), you might want to check out the KJV Bibles Store, who kindly sent me a review copy of the reasonably priced leather burgundy KJV Bible in giant print, published by Christian Arts Publishers.

The box itself is impressive as though each Bible is a gift, which the Word of God surely is!

Thumb-indexing will hasten your search for a particular book of the Bible during a study, class, or discussion group and simply help you find what you’re looking for as you read – and re-read this reader edition – at home.

To ease your topical search for specific verses, this Bible offers a concordance and unique “Verse Finder,” which is divided into sections, topics, and locations of chapter/verse. For example:

• When You Need – has headings of “acceptance,” “forgiveness,” “mercy,” or “wisdom.”
• When You Feel – includes such headings as “afraid,” “burned out,” criticized,” “tempted,” or “worried.”
• What The Bible Says About – subjects such as “angels,” “astrology,” “confession,” “parenting,” “pride,” “work,” or “worship.”

Although I prefer thicker paper, the 14-point font is clear and amply inked. The cover has a nice feel, allowing the book to lay flat when opened, and, compared to the high cost of other leather-covered Bibles, this one comes at a premium price!

Those features and a manageable size (less than 6x9”) make this two-column Bible pleasant to hold as you read and a joy to hold onto as you study God’s Word.

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019, poet-writer, Bible reviewer

Premium Leather Burgundy KJV Bible Giant Print, thumb-indexed

Order from the KJV Bibles Store.

Or order this KJV from Amazon

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NIV Giant Print Compact Bible

After reviewing Bibles I’d purchased over the years, Bible publishers began sending me review copies of new translations, study editions, children’s Bibles, and other biblical resources, but every now and then I buy one I want to fill a gap.

Although I have various editions of the New International Version (NIV), I wanted a large print reader edition – without the distraction of footnotes – to just sit down and read. For me, that necessitates either a paperback edition or a soft, flexible, yummy-to-the-touch leather binding, which this premium leather edition certainly has. (For study Bibles with lots of articles and footnotes, however, I prefer hardbacks to join the row along my desk, where they’ll stand at attention without slouching as leather or paperbacks are apt to do.)

When it comes to font sizes though, Zondervan and I do not see eye to eye (pun intended.) For them, the easy-on-the-eyes font in this edition is considered, “giant print.” For me, that’s a misnomer as I consider nothing less than 14-point “giant” with 17-point being super-sized. Yet this “giant print” edition has about 10-point type, which, fortunately, is just right for me.

The clear font, premium leather binding, and single column page layout encourage me to snuggle into my favorite chair (yeah, over-stuffed soft leather) and keep reading, as I would with any inviting text. With other books though, I’m apt to put the book away (often for years) or pass it on to someone else if I don’t expect to ever read it again.

Not so with the NIV Giant Print Compact Bible. Lord willing, I’ll read it again and again, which is why I appreciate the overall size and sewn-in pages able to withstand years of wear.

I also appreciate having two ribbon markers as my Sunday School class studies the Hebrew Bible (aka Old Testament) while my Wednesday morning discussion group studies the New. In between though, I love to read the Psalms, so a third ribbon would have been nice, but one mustn’t be picky. Just having the Word of God in a conversational, thought-for-thought translation is a blessing that lasts longer than leather.

by Mary Harwell Sayler, © 2019, poet-writer, reviewer, pray-er

NIV Giant PrintCompact Bible, premium leather

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